The agent of Gareth Bale has tipped the Real Madrid winger to one day claim the FIFA Ballon d'Or
The 25-year-old has enjoyed an impressive spell with Los Blancos since his world-record switch to Santiago Bernabeu last year, and with the 2014 edition of the individual honour looming large, Jonathan Barnett has thrown his client into the ring.
“He's lovely. I've known him since he was young and he is a pro. He's strong on the pitch, and off it too,” he insisted during an interview with AS.
“He knows what he wants, in football, business, marketing, sponsorships, but he's not a guy who wants to show off. He has no need to impress people, he only cares about his family. They are all behind him.
“He's what makes football glamorous. Today, people want to see stars. If Madrid had 11 Segunda players, the stadium wouldn't be filled.
“People go to see the most expensive players – Bale, Cristiano… They come to see Messi. People buy their ticket to see stars, the glamour. They don't want to see their players approach the stadium on a bike.
“I don't know what Cristiano drives in, but they want to see a Ferrari, for example. And to say 'Look! There goes… Bale'.
“That's the glamour! Newspapers write about the stars, and Bale has raised the image of football. And the most important people in the sport are the players, so we should get a lot [of publicity].
“Gareth wants to be part of the team. They won the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. Plus the money generated by that … If you look in hindsight now, you can say 'Bale was great business.'
“He's certainly going to be the best player in the world. He will win the Ballon d'Or, he's only 25! I told the president and Jose Angel Sanchez, and they laughed at me. They are not laughing so much now.
“I said that Bale was a better player than Neymar and has more impact. In Wales there are far fewer people in Brazil, unfortunately. But in the world, I think Gareth is the better known and more important.”
